Hey there everybody,

Ive got an idea for the siege equipment (SE), to be exact. So lets presume with an theoretical siege in M3. 

When the attacking army builds the SE, they're different options on how the buildung of it could be interrupted from the defending ai/player. 

After the selected SE, the oppossing ai/player has two different options:

       1. Attack the attacking army (AA) (as we know it).

       2. Try to interupt the building of the SE. 

If the defending army (DA) try's to do so, it happens with an percentual chance. By failure, a normal attack happens. By success the DA can attack the siege equipment while it's under construction (including night attacks, but with even lower chance though).

So now it's about the actual battle. They're three zones. Additional to the two existig ones, there's now one for the SE. It has an relatively realistic distance to both armys and can not be moved from the AA. So now the DA can settle out and attack it and now comes a crucial new feature imo. The SE is built in relation to the remaining rounds. That means there is progress, so different stages, each one is more advanced and harder to destroy. The AA can't see over the walls and it counts as suprise attack, so no preperation on the formation and the AA also has to make a run for it. Here, ladders can't be destroyed. Historically, ladders were often build where tree's were (obviously armies also traveled with existing materials to build them) and I think the implementation of the destrucuion could be tricky. Depending on the weather, the SE can be turned on fire and then it's complely destroyed.  

Also, every time to settle out is an risk for the defender. To lose troops and the whole battle and if the SE is not destroyed and already built, the castle can be attacked. When there's no SE whatsoever, the defender can close the gates. I think if it's closed, it can't be opened again, gameplay and a bit historical wise. On one hostorical side it was often a deperate move and if the gates were closed, they stay closed most of the times. From the gameplay perspective I think it could be broken to attack multiple times and frustrating for the attacker (player). More so if it's PvP. The AA has lost the battle, if the SE is destroyed and there's no DF outside the castle. If there is, the attacker can decide to eredicate them in a specific time limit or end the battle (AI wise it could be difficult to handle, espsecially if the player could exploit the AI and decimate the opposing army; so here the time limit could be handled as a compromise for an attacking AI).

So that's it, what do you all think about it? If you've got interessting ideas (be it better/more implementations etc.), write it down. We're here to discuss!

Best regards 

The Schiss